=== As of 6:40 p.m. (et) ===

=== COLLEGE FOOTBALL ===

Wisconsin  head  coach Bret Bielema has  taken the vacant coaching position at
Arkansas,  according  to multiple reports.  The school is expected to announce
Bielema's hiring on Tuesday and introduce him at a Wednesday press conference.
Bielema,  who  has led  the Badgers  to three  straight Rose Bowl appearances,
owns  a  68-24 mark in  seven seasons with the  program. Despite an 8-5 record
this  season,  Wisconsin earned  another trip to  Pasadena following its 70-31
shellacking  of Nebraska  in  the Big  Ten Championship  Game.  It is  unknown
whether  Bielema  will be  on  the  sidelines  in  Pasadena for  next  month's
Rose  Bowl against  Stanford. Arkansas  struggled to  a 4-8  mark this  season
under  the guidance  of  John L.  Smith  after the  firing  former head  coach
Bobby  Petrino,  who  was  let  go  in April  following  a  scandal  in  which
he hired  his mistress into the football department.

===

Former  assistant  Gus Malzahn  has accepted  the head  coaching job at Auburn
after  a  one-year stint at  the helm of  the Arkansas State football program.
Malzahn was the Tigers' offensive coordinator from 2009-11 and helped lead the
school  to  a national  championship in  2010 under  recently fired coach Gene
Chizik.  Auburn  went  3-9  and  0-8  in the  SEC  this  year,  which  led  to
Chizik's  dismissal.  The 47-year-old  Malzahn guided Arkansas  State to a 9-3
record and a Sun Belt championship in his lone season with the Red Wolves.

===

Steve  Addazio  has been named the  new head football coach at Boston College.
The  53-year-old Addazio  heads  to  the Heights  after  just  two seasons  as
Temple's  head  coach, during which  he compiled a  13-11 record with one bowl
berth.  He fills the  slot vacated by Frank Spaziani, who was fired on Nov. 25
after the Eagles finished 2-10, their worst record since a winless campaign in
1978.  Spaziani turned  in a  22-29 mark  over his  four-year tenure  with BC,
including three bowl appearances with one victory.

=== NFL ===

Bears  middle  linebacker Brian Urlacher  could miss  the next three games and
possibly  the  remainder of the regular  season due to a significant hamstring
injury,  a Chicago  newspaper reported  on  Tuesday. According  to the  paper,
Urlacher  suffered a Grade 2 strain of his right hamstring during the overtime
period  of Chicago's  23-17 loss  to Seattle  while attempting  to chase  down
Seahawks  quarterback Russell  Wilson. The  eight-time Pro  Bowl selection  is
expected  to sit  out  three weeks  with  hopes of  returning  for the  Bears'
regular-season finale at Detroit.

===

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's availability for Sunday's
game against the San Diego Chargers will depend on how he performs in practice
this  week.  Steelers coach Mike Tomlin  said on Tuesday that Charlie Batch is
scheduled  to start  Sunday's game.  Roethlisberger, who  has missed  the last
three  games with rib and shoulder injuries, has a chance to prove he is ready
to  play. The Steelers dropped their first two games without Roethlisberger in
the  lineup, but  bounced back with a  win at Baltimore on Sunday. Tomlin also
said  that  cornerback Ike  Taylor could  miss several  weeks with a fractured
right ankle. Cortez Allen will start in his place.

=== BASEBALL ===

The  New  York Mets  made  it  official on  Tuesday,  agreeing  to terms  with
franchise  cornerstone David Wright on a new contract through the 2020 season.
The  third baseman's  deal combines  his $16  million option  for 2013  with a
seven-year,  $122  million extension. Wright, who  turns 30 on Dec. 20, batted
.306 with 21 home runs, 41 doubles and 93 RBI and earned his sixth career All-
Star  selection  last season.  A career  .301 hitter,  Wright is the franchise
leader  in hits (1,426), doubles (322), RBI (818), runs scored (790) and walks
(616).  His  204 home  runs place  him third in  team history, trailing Darryl
Strawberry (252) and Mike Piazza (220).

===

The  Boston  Red Sox  have apparently  signed outfielder  Shane Victorino to a
three-year  deal.  The pact  is believed  to be  $39 million  and is pending a
physical.  A  two-time All-Star with two  Gold Gloves to his credit, Victorino
had  spent the majority of his nine-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies
before  being dealt  to  the Los  Angeles Dodgers  at  July's trade  deadline.
Victorino  was already in the midst of his worst year as a pro before the deal
and struggled even more after the trade, hitting just .245 in 53 games for the
Dodgers.  In 154 combined  games, he batted .255 with 11 home runs, 55 RBI, 72
runs scored and 39 stolen bases. He also compiled a .321 on-base-percentage, a
.383  slugging and a  .704 OPS. It was a far cry from a terrific 2011 campaign
that saw the switch-hitter bat .279 with a .355 OBP and a .491 SLG.

=== NHL ===

NHL  owners  and players are  meeting Tuesday in  New York City without either
commissioner  Gary  Bettman or union  chief Donald Fehr in attendance. Bettman
first suggested the idea  of a face-to-face meeting between owners and players
without  some  of the usual  representatives from  either side involved in the
collective  bargaining  sessions. The two  sides met  twice last week with the
involvement  of  federal mediators,  but  the  process was  unsuccessful.  The
current   work  stoppage,  which  began  Sept.  16,  has  already  forced  the
cancellation  of  regular-season games through Dec.  14, as well as the Winter
Classic and All-Star Weekend.